The present invention is directed toward providing a method and apparatus which may be adapted for use with a large variety of vehicles and vehicle seats to actuate a vehicle seat. More particularly, the invention is directed toward a hydraulic system and assembly that will move a vehicle seat downward when the vehicle's terrain contacting apparatus moves upward to better isolate the vehicle rider(s) from oscillatory movements in the vertical direction caused by the vehicle operating on other than smooth terrain.
The prior art provides numerous examples of interconnecting linkages and resilient mounts for supporting a seat to a vehicle to isolate a rider from various forms of verical motion. In spite of these linkages and mounts a rider still can have a bouncy or jolting ride due to the vehicle transversing rough terrain. This is primarily caused by a rapid upward movement of the seat in response to a rapid upward movement of the vehicle terrain contacting apparatus via the vehicle main body mass. The present invention tends to prevent the seat from moving in the same direction by causing the seat to be moved in the opposite direction a similar distance; thereby, preventing the seat rider from felling the seat movement to the extend the rider normally would without the present invention.
The present invention is particularly concerned with being used in conjunction with existing seat suspension systems to provide a better ride to the vehicle seat occupant(s).